Time managed challenge-response test

ABSTRACT

A method of generating a time managed challenge-response test is presented. The method identifies a geometric shape having a volume and generates an entry object of the time managed challenge-response test. The entry object is overlaid onto the geometric shape, such that the entry object is distributed over a surface of the geometric shape, and a portion of the entry object is hidden at any point in time. The geometric shape is rotated, which reveals the portion of the entry object that is hidden. A display region on a display is identified for rendering the geometric shape and the geometric shape is presented in the display region of the display.

BACKGROUND

CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers andHumans Apart) are often used to ensure that information submitted to acomputer system was submitted by a legitimate user rather than anautomated system. A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used toensure that an account request is not generated by an automated system,where the most common type of CAPTCHA requires the user to alphanumericcharacters rendered as a distorted image that appears on a displayscreen. Assuming automated systems are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, anyuser entering a correct solution is presumed to be a legitimate user.

In response to recent CAPTCHAs designs that more difficult for anautomated system to solve, malicious users have turned tohuman-computation attacks utilizing “human CAPTCHA farms”. These “humanCAPTCHA farms” are employed to solve the CAPTCHAs displayed on awebpage, while the automated system automatically fills in and submitsthe rest of the webpage. The economic model behind the use of the “humanCAPTCHA farm” is to use a large number of low skilled workers to quicklysolve separated CAPTCHAs that are in a queue. The incentive for usingthese “human CAPTCHA farms” can be reduced by disrupting the economicmodel that makes their use attractive. One approach is to reduce thethroughput of these “farms” so that the economics behind the “humanCAPTCHA farm” can be shifted to the point where it is no longer worththe time or money to solve CAPTCHAs.

It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

SUMMARY

Broadly speaking, the present invention fills these needs by providing amethod and apparatus for imposing a time constraint on a user to reduceefficiency of solving challenge-response tests. In one embodiment, atime managed challenge-response test is structured to require at least aspecified amount of time before the challenge-response test can besolved. It should be appreciated that the present invention can beimplemented in numerous ways, including as a method, a system, or adevice. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention aredescribed below.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of generating atime managed challenge-response test is detailed. The method identifiesa geometric shape having a volume and generates an entry object of thetime managed challenge-response test. The entry object is overlaid ontothe geometric shape, such that the entry object is distributed over asurface of the geometric shape, and a portion of the entry object ishidden at any point in time. The geometric shape is rotated, whichreveals the portion of the entry object that is hidden. A display regionon a display is identified for rendering the geometric shape and thegeometric shape is presented in the display region of the display.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a computing systemfor authenticating access using a time managed challenge-response testis provided. The computing system has a processor that includes a testgeneration engine for generating the entry object of the time managedchallenge-response test. In addition, a graphics engine identifies ageometric shape having a volume, and the entry object is overlaid ontothe surface of the geometric shape by an overlay engine. Overlaying theentry object by the overlay engine distributes the entry object over thesurface of the geometric shape, such that a portion of the entry objectis hidden at any point in time. The geometric shape is rotated by amovement engine, where the rotation of the geometric shape reveals theportion of the entry object that is hidden. A display renderer enginerenders the geometric shape that is overlaid with the entry object.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, together with further advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A illustrates a webpage utilizing a time managedchallenge-response test, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates the details of a time managed challenge-responsetest, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system implementing a time managedchallenge-response test, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 3A-F illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing multiple geometric shapes, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 4A-H illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing a rotating geometric shape, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test using ageometric shape overlaid with a graphical pattern, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing a graphical pattern overlaid over the entry object, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test using agraphical pattern to reveal individual alphanumeric characters of theentry object, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart diagram illustrating method operations forgenerating a time managed challenge-response test implemented using ageometric shape, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram illustrating method operations forgenerating a time managed challenge-response test overlaid with apattern defined by graphical elements, in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following embodiments describe an apparatus and method for imposinga time constraint on a user to reduce efficiency of solvingchallenge-response tests. It will be obvious, however, to one skilled inthe art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or allof these specific details. In other instances, well known processoperations have not been described in detail in order not tounnecessarily obscure the present invention. Embodiments described belowdetail challenge-response tests in which an entry object is revealedover a period of time. Furthermore, the time period in which the entryobject of the challenge-response test is revealed can be adjusteddepending on the sensitivity of data or probability of automated abuse.

FIG. 1A illustrates a webpage utilizing a time managedchallenge-response test, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. Before an account is created to enable access to theInternet service of a web portal, such as e-mail, social networking,financial services, etc., the web portal will often require the userperform an authentication process. The Internet services are cited forillustrative purposes and as such are not limiting. Account creationprocedures often require users to obtain an account through anauthentication webpage 10. The authentication process may have the userprovide user identification, as well as personal, information 22. In oneembodiment, the user is required to solve a time managed challengeresponse test 24 where the entirety of the challenge-response test isrendered over a period of time in order to activate an account. Inanother embodiment, solving the time managed challenge-response testinvolves entering a sequence of alphanumeric characters of an entryobject rendered on the display of the client system. Once the user hasbeen determined to be a legitimate user, the web portal will create anaccount allowing the user to access the requested Internet service.

By monitoring the activity on the Internet service, some requestedactivity, e.g., sending a mass e-mail, may be flagged. For example, itmay be determined that the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the clientsystem requesting the activity originates from a geographic locationknown for fraudulent activity. Requested activity that is flagged cantrigger a process requiring the user to further authenticate therequested activity is originating from legitimate user. In oneembodiment, a monitoring process uses a time managed challenge-responsetest to further authenticate the user. One skilled in the art willappreciate the time managed challenge-response test is applicable tosituations, such as account creation, where it is reasonable to impose atime constraint on the user so that extra time is required to solve thetime managed challenge-response test.

FIG. 1B illustrates the details of a time managed challenge-responsetest, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. A timemanaged challenge-response test 24 can have a display area 23A to renderthe challenge-response test 24, as well as a response area 23B for theuser to type in the alphanumeric characters of the entry object renderedin the display area 23A. In one embodiment, the entire entry object ofthe challenge-response test 24 is revealed over a specified period oftime. In another embodiment, the user inputs the solution of the timemanaged challenge-response test into the response area 23B after theentry object has been revealed to the user. In other words, while theuser can input a solution to the time managed challenge-response test atany time, the entire sequence of alphanumeric characters of the entryobject is fully revealed over the course of a specified period of time.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system implementing a time managedchallenge-response test, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. As discussed above in reference to FIG. 1A, the usercreates an account of an Internet service through an authenticationwebpage 10, which is displayed on the display of the client system 58.Data exchanged between the client system 58 and the server system 50 ofthe web portal through the Internet 56 allows the user to create anaccount and access Internet services of the web portal. In addition, theserver system 50 performs authentication and monitoring processes tomaintain the security of the web portal. As part of the authenticationprocess, the server system 50 generates the time managedchallenge-response test 24 that is rendered on a display of the clientsystem 58 and evaluates the solution provided by the user. In oneembodiment, the time managed challenge-response test 24 is generated andevaluated using method operations primarily executed by a processor ofthe server system 50.

The test generation engine 52 generates the entry object of the timemanaged challenge-response test 24. In other words, the test generationmodule 52 generates the alphanumeric sequence used to authenticate theuser. The alphanumeric sequence should be broadly construed to includecharacters from either Latin and non-Latin scripts. The graphics engine54 identifies a geometric shape having a volume, where the geometricshape should be broadly construed to include cubes, spheres,tetrahedrons, polygons, and generally any geometric shape, both regularand irregular, with a volume. The server system 50 further includes anoverlay engine 60 that overlays the entry object generated by the testgeneration 52 onto the surface of the geometric shape identified by thegraphics engine 54. In one embodiment, the overlay engine 60 embossesthe entry object as a protrusion on the surface of the geometric shape.

The movement engine 62 of the server system 50 rotates the geometricshape from the overlay engine 60. One with skill in the art willappreciate that rotating the geometric shape reveals a portion of theentry object that was previously hidden to the user, while anotherportion of the entry object that was previously visible is then hidden.In one embodiment, either speed, direction, axis of rotation, or anycombination of these characteristics associated with the geometric shapeis randomly varied as a function of time. One with skill in the art willfurther appreciate that the variation in movement, determined by themovement engine 62, of the geometric shape reveals portions of the entryobject of the time managed challenge-response test 24 in an intermittentfashion. The display renderer engine 64 of the server renders the timemanaged challenge-response test 24 on the display of the client system.In one embodiment, as the display renderer engine 64 renders the timemanaged challenge-response test 24, the test generation engine 52requests user input for each revealed portion of the entry object andthe requested user input is compared with the entry object.

In one embodiment, the graphics engine 54 of the server system 50generates a pattern defined by graphical elements. Graphical elements ofthe pattern should be broadly construed to include lines, alpha-numericcharacters, dots, symbols, random shapes, characters in non-Latinscripts, any combination of the above, etc. It should be appreciatedthat any graphical element is applicable, so long as the graphicalelement acts to obscure a portion of the entry object. The overlayengine 60 further overlays the geometric shape with the pattern definedby graphical elements onto the entry object identified by the testgeneration engine 52.

In a separate embodiment, the time managed challenge-response testrenders the entire entry object in the display area of the client system58 and relies on the pattern defined by graphical elements to obscurethe entry object in a manner that the entire entry object is revealedover a specified period of time. As discussed above, the test generationengine 52 identifies an entry object of the time managedchallenge-response test. The graphics engine 54 generates a patterndefined by graphical elements, where in one embodiment, the patterndefined by graphic elements also has an area free of graphical elements.In other words, the pattern defined by graphical elements has a cleararea through which the user can discern features underneath the patterndefined by graphical elements.

The overlay engine 60 overlays the pattern generated by the graphicsengine 54 over the entry object. The movement engine 62 moves the areaof the pattern free of graphical elements along a path traversing acrossthe entry object. The area of the pattern free from graphical elementsover the entry object makes a portion of the entry object visible at agiven time. One will skill in the art will appreciate that as the areaof the pattern free of graphical elements moves along the pathtraversing across the entry object, a portion of the entry object thatwas obscured becomes visible and another portion that was visiblebecomes hidden. As discussed above, the display render 64 of the serversystem 50 identifies the display region on a display of the clientsystem 58 for rendering the pattern defined by graphical elements andthe entry object of the time managed challenge-response test.

FIGS. 3A-F illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing multiple geometric shapes, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. The time managed challenge-response test 24 usesmultiple geometric shapes 70-74, where the entry object 70-74A of thetime managed challenge-response test 24 is distributed over the multiplegeometric shapes 70-74. Distributed portions of the entry object 70-74Aare overlaid on the geometric shapes 70-74. In one embodiment, eachgeometric shape 70-74 rotates about a fixed axis of rotation, such thata portion of the entry object 70-74A is visible at a given time, whilethe remaining portions of the entry object 70-74A are hidden from theuser. In another embodiment, a speed of rotation is determined by themovement engine of the server system, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Stillfurther, characters of the entry object 70-74A are formed as aprotrusion on the surface of the geometric shapes 70-74, in oneembodiment.

FIGS. 3A-B illustrate at times t₁ and t₂, the portion of the entryobject 70A of the time managed challenge-response test associatedgeometric shape 70 is visible, while portions of the entry objectassociated with geometric shapes 72-74 are hidden. In one embodiment,the geometric shapes 70-74 are rotated such that portions of the entryobject 70-74A associated with each geometric shape are visible atdifferent points in time. One with skill in the art will appreciate thatembossing the portion of the entry object 70A as a protrusion on thesurface of the geometric shape 70 prevents the portion of the entryobject 70A from being visible when viewed straight on. In other words,the portion of the entry object 70A associated with geometric shape 70is discernable when viewed at an angle, but blends into the backgroundwhen viewed straight on. At times t₃ and t₄, the portion of the entryobject 70A associated with geometric shape 70 is hidden, while theportion of the entry object 72A associated with geometric shape 72 isvisible, as illustrated in FIGS. 3C-D. Then at times t₅ and t₆, theportion of the entry object 74A associated with geometric shape 74 isvisible after rotation of geometric shape 74, while the portions of theentry object associated with geometric shapes 70-72 are hidden, asillustrated in FIGS. 3E-F.

FIGS. 4A-H illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing a rotating geometric shape, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. The time managed challenge-response test 24 hasthe entry object 70A-F distributed to different locations on the surfaceof the geometric shape 70, such that a different portion of the entryobject 70A-F is visible at a given time. In one embodiment, the entryobject 70A-F is overlaid and embossed on the surface of the geometricshape 70 as protrusion. In another embodiment, the entry object 70A-F isdebossed on the surface of the geometric shape 70 as an indention. Theentry object 70A-F associated with the geometric shape 70 is revealed tothe user through rotation of the geometric shape 70, such that over aspecified period of time the entire entry object 70A-F is revealed tothe user. In another embodiment, the time managed challenge-responsetest operates in an “interaction mode”, where the geometric shape 70rotates to a new position when a portion of the entry object 70A-F isentered by the user.

In another embodiment, the movement engine varies the speed, direction,axis of rotation, or any combination of characteristics associated withthe geometric shape 70 is randomly varied as a function of time, asillustrated in FIG. 2. One will skill in the art will appreciate randommovement increases the difficulty of capturing the entire entry objectthrough automated screen capturing, and varying the axis of rotationreveals different portions of the entry object 70A-F. For example,during time t₁ the portion of the entry object 70A can be discerned,while the other portions of the entry object are obscured, asillustrated in FIG. 4A. In another example, during time t₂ portions ofthe entry object 70A, 70B, and 70D are visible, as illustrated in FIG.4B. As illustrated by FIGS. 4A-H, during times t₁-t₈, all the portionsof the entry object 70A-F are revealed by varying the axis of rotationand rotating the geometric shape 70.

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test using ageometric shape overlaid with a graphical pattern, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. A pattern defined by graphicalelements 80 is overlaid onto the surface of the geometric shape 70, inaddition to the entry object 70A-E. In one embodiment, the patterndefined by graphical elements has an opacity that serves to partiallyobscure the entry object 70A-E. As discussed above, the pattern definedby graphical elements is generated by the graphics engine of the server,as illustrated in FIG. 2. In another embodiment, the entry object 70A-Eis distributed over different locations on the surface of the geometricshape 70 and may include a sequence of alphanumeric characters. As theaxis of rotation is varied, rotating the geometric shape 70 enablesdifferent portions of the entry object 70A-E to be visible to the userduring times t₁-t₄, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A-D.

FIGS. 6A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test implementedusing a graphical pattern overlaid over the entry object, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. The entry object 70A-D ofthe time managed challenge-response test is distributed in the displayarea 23A. As discussed above, the graphics engine generates a patterndefined by graphical elements 80, which is overlaid over the entryobject 70A-D. In one embodiment, the generated pattern defined bygraphical elements 80 includes an area free of graphical elements 82. Inother words, after the pattern defined by graphic elements 80 isoverlaid over the entry object 70A-D, the entry object 70A-D is obscuredexcept for the portion that is within the area free of graphicalelements 82. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, at time t₁ the portion of theentry object 70A within the area free of graphical elements 82 isvisible, while the remaining portions of the entry object are hidden. Inone embodiment, the portion of the entry object 70A is an entirealphanumeric character of the entry object. In another embodiment, themovement engine moves the area free of graphical elements 82 along apath traversing across the entry object 70A-D in the display area 23A.Still further, the graphical elements 80 may have movement independentof the movement of the area free of graphical elements 82. In otherwords, the pattern defined by graphical elements 80 can move along afirst direction, while the area free of graphical elements 82 movesalong a path in a second direction. During times t₁-t₄, a differentportion of the entry object 70A-D is revealed to the user, asillustrated in FIGS. 6A-D.

FIGS. 7A-D illustrate a time managed challenge-response test using agraphical pattern to reveal individual alphanumeric characters of theentry object, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The pattern defined by graphical elements 80 can be furtherused to obscure individual alphanumeric characters of the entry object70A of the time managed challenge-response test. In one embodiment, asdescribed above, the pattern defined by graphical elements 80 has anarea free of graphical elements 82. Depending on the size and locationof the area free of graphical elements 82, parts of individualalphanumeric characters of the entry object 70A can be revealed to theuser over a specified period of time. The area free of graphicalelements is moved in such a way as to reveal the entire portion of theentry object 70A over the specified period of time, from t₁-t₄, asillustrated in FIGS. 7A-D. In another embodiment, the area free ofgraphical elements 82 moves to a new position on the path when thealphanumeric character of the entry object 70A is entered by the user.One skilled in the art will appreciate that the area free of graphicalelements 82 can also be used to simultaneously reveal multiple portionsof alphanumeric characters of the entry object 70A.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart diagram illustrating method operations forgenerating a time managed challenge-response test implemented using ageometric shape, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The method begins in operation 200, where a geometric shapehaving a volume is identified. In one embodiment, the geometric shapecan be a cube, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-H. In another embodiment, thegeometric shape can be a “bubble” or an asymmetrical spherical shape. Anentry object of the time managed challenge-response test is generated inoperation 202. In one embodiment, the entry object is made up of asequence of alphanumeric characters generated by the test generationengine, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The method advances to operation 204, where the entry object generatedin operation 202 is overlaid onto the surface of the geometric shape. Inone embodiment, the overlay engine overlays the entry object onto thegeometric shape identified by the graphics engine, as illustrated inFIG. 2. In another embodiment, the entry object is overlaid and embossedon the geometric shape as a protrusion on the surface of the geometricshape, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A-F. Operation 206 identifies a displayregion for displaying the geometric shape overlaid with the entry objectof the challenge-response test. In one embodiment, the display regionhas an associated response area in which the user provides the solutionto the challenge-response test, i.e., the sequence of alphanumericcharacters of the entry object, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. In anotherembodiment, the geometric shape is shaded to obscure the entry objectduring straight on viewing. In operation 208, the geometric shapeoverlaid with the entry object is rotated in the display area. Stillfurther, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the speed, axis of rotation, ordirection is randomly varied by the movement engine, in one embodiment.The rotating geometric shape is presented in the display region of thedisplay of the client system in operation 210, as illustrated in FIG.1A. In one embodiment, user input is requested for each revealed portionof the entry object and the requested user input is compared with theentry object. In another embodiment, rotation of the geometric shape ofoperation 208 is in response to user input.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram illustrating method operations forgenerating a time managed challenge-response test overlaid with apattern defined by graphical elements, in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention. The method begins in operation 250, where anentry object of the time managed challenge-response test is generated.In one embodiment, the entry object is generated by the test generationengine, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In operation 252, a pattern defined bygraphical elements is identified. In one embodiment, the pattern definedby graphical elements can depict a scene such as wind blowing sand orleaves across the display area of the challenge-response test. Inanother embodiment, the pattern defined by graphical elements has anarea free of graphical elements, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A-D.

The method advances to operation 254, where the pattern defined bygraphical elements identified in operation 252 is overlaid over theentry object of the challenge-response test. As illustrated in FIGS.7A-D, overlaying the pattern defined by the graphical elements obscuresthe entry object from the user. In one embodiment, the area free ofgraphical elements reveals a portion of the entry object of thechallenge-response test. The method advances to operation 256, where thearea of the pattern free of graphical elements is moved along a pathtraversing across the entry object. As discussed above, the movement ofthe area of the pattern free from graphical elements reveals differentportions of the entry object as the area moves along the path. In oneembodiment, the area of the pattern free of graphical elements moves ata randomly varying speed. One with skill in the art will appreciate thetime the area of the pattern free of graphical elements takes tocompletely traverses across the entry object determines a minimum timeneeded to solve the time managed challenge-response test. In operation258, a display region for displaying the challenge-response test isidentified. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the display region is on thedisplay of a client system. The entry object and the pattern defined bygraphical elements are presented in the display region in operation 260.In one embodiment, user input is requested for each revealed portion ofthe entry object and the requested user input is compared with the entryobject. In another embodiment, the user input is provided in theresponse area of the authentication webpage, as illustrated in FIG. 1B.

The invention may be practiced with other computer system configurationsincluding hand-held devices, microprocessor systems,microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. The invention may alsobe practiced in distributing computing environments where tasks areperformed by remote processing devices that are linked through anetwork.

With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that theinvention may employ various computer-implemented operations involvingdata stored in computer systems. These operations are those requiringphysical manipulation of physical quantities. Usually, though notnecessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magneticsignals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, andotherwise manipulated. Further, the manipulations performed are oftenreferred to in terms, such as producing, identifying, determining, orcomparing.

Any of the operations described herein that form part of the inventionare useful machine operations. The invention also relates to a device oran apparatus for performing these operations. The apparatus may bespecially constructed for the required purpose, such as a specialpurpose computer. When defined as a special purpose computer, thecomputer can also perform other processing, program execution orroutines that are not part of the special purpose, while still beingcapable of operating for the special purpose. Alternatively, theoperations may be processed by a general purpose computer selectivelyactivated or configured by one or more computer programs stored in thecomputer memory, cache, or obtained over a network. When data isobtained over a network the data maybe processed by other computers onthe network, e.g., a cloud of computing resources.

The embodiments of the present invention can also be defined as amachine that transforms data from one state to another state. Thetransformed data can be saved to storage and then manipulated by aprocessor. The processor thus transforms the data from one thing toanother. Still further, the methods can be processed by one or moremachines or processors that can be connected over a network. Eachmachine can transform data from one state or thing to another, and canalso process data, save data to storage, transmit data over a network,display the result, or communicate the result to another machine.

The invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on acomputer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any datastorage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by acomputer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include harddrives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-accessmemory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs, Flash, magnetic tapes, and otheroptical and non-optical data storage devices. The computer readablemedium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer systemsso that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certainchanges and modifications can be practiced within the scope of theappended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is notto be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified withinthe scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying a geometricshape having a volume; generating an entry object; overlaying the entryobject onto the geometric shape, the overlaying is distributed over agraphical surface of the geometric shape, wherein the entry objectincludes a sequence of alphanumeric characters, wherein a first one ofthe alphanumeric characters is overlaid on a first face of the geometricshape and a second one of the alphanumeric characters is overlaid on asecond face of the geometric shape; identifying a display region on adisplay of a client device for rendering the geometric shape; receivinguser input identifying a first portion of the entry object; and rotatingthe geometric shape and the entry object automatically in response toreceiving the user input identifying the first portion, the rotatingrevealing a second portion of the entry object that is hidden, whereinthe method is executed by a processor of a server.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: randomly varying one of a speed, direction,and axis of rotation of the geometric shape.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising: shading the geometric shape to obscure the firstportion of the entry object on the graphical surface of the geometricshape.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: requesting the userinput for the first portion of the entry object; and comparing the userinput with the entry object.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: overlaying a pattern defined by graphical elements on theentry object, such that the pattern defined by the graphical elementsobscures the entry object.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:embossing the entry object as a protrusion on the graphical surface ofthe geometric shape, such that the protrusion is visible when viewed atan angle.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the protrusion is hiddenduring straight on viewing.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: overlaying a pattern defined by graphical elements onto thegraphical surface of the geometric shape.
 9. A computing systemcomprising: a server including a processor, the processor including, atest generation engine for generating an entry object; a graphics engineidentifying a geometric shape having a volume; an overlay engine foroverlaying a first portion of the entry object on a graphical surface ofthe geometric shape, the overlaying distributes the entry object overthe geometric shape, wherein the entry object includes a sequence ofalphanumeric characters, wherein a first one of the alphanumericcharacters is for overlaying on a first face of the geometric shape anda second one of the alphanumeric characters is for overlaying on asecond face of the geometric shape; and a movement engine for rotatingthe geometric shape and the entry object automatically in response to auser input identifying the first portion, the rotating revealing asecond portion of the entry object that is hidden, wherein the geometricshape is displayed on a display device of a client device; and one ormore memory devices coupled to the processor, the one or more memorydevices for storing the test generation engine, the graphics engine, theoverlay engine, and the movement engine.
 10. The computing system ofclaim 9, wherein the graphics engine generates a pattern defined bygraphical elements, wherein the overlay engine overlays the patterndefined by the graphical elements onto the graphical surface of thegeometric shape.
 11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein theoverlay engine embosses the first portion of the entry object as aprotrusion on the graphical surface of the geometric shape.
 12. Thecomputing system of claim 9, wherein the movement engine randomly variesone of a speed, direction, and axis of rotation of the geometric shape.13. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the test generation enginerequests the user input for the first portion of the entry object andcompares the user input with the entry object.
 14. A method comprising:generating an entry object; identifying a pattern defined by graphicalelements, the pattern having an area free of graphical elements;overlaying the pattern defined by graphical elements onto the entryobject; enabling automatic movement, in a two-dimensional plane, of thearea free of graphical elements along a path traversing across the entryobject; identifying a display region on a display of a client device forrendering the entry object, such that a portion of the entry object isvisible at any point in time by the area free of graphical elements; andproviding the pattern and entry object for display in the display regionof the display, such that a portion of the entry object is discernableat a point in time through the area free of graphical elements, whereinthe entry object includes a sequence of alphanumeric characters, whereina first one of the alphanumeric characters is provided for being visiblein a first portion of the area free of graphical elements and a secondone of the alphanumeric characters is provided for being visible in asecond portion of the area free of graphical elements, wherein themethod is executed by a processor of a server.
 15. The method of claim14, further comprising: requesting user input for each revealed portionof the entry object; and comparing the requested user input with theentry object.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising randomlyvarying a speed of movement of the area free of graphical elements. 17.The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining a minimum timeto solve a time managed challenge-response test through a speed ofmovement of the area free of graphical elements.
 18. The method of claim14, further comprising: enabling movement of the graphical elementsdefining the pattern within the display region.
 19. The method of claim14, wherein the graphical elements defining the pattern moveindependently from movement of the area free of graphical elements.